NORTHERN, CA, September 23, 2025 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Maritza Meza has been selected for inclusion in Marquis Who's Who. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.

Maritza established a distinguished career in the psychology field with a decade of dedicated service across the justice system, with foster services and dual diagnosis cases. She served as a therapist and compliance auditor for Contra Costa County. In this capacity, Maritza conducted comprehensive compliance audits for a county agency which consisted of overseeing various programs to ensure adherence to regulations. Her responsibilities include auditing staff files, policy manuals, reviewing charts and drafting quality improvement plans or reports for state review. She actively participated in state audits and visits. For programs she did not audit, she assisted with review of cases and offered additional insights during case presentations. Maritza reviewed assessments to confirm medical necessity for treatment, helped determine level of care, attended quality assurance meetings and collaborated with county-operated clinics for both adults as well as children or families. The programs she provided consultations or reviews of assessments were: Discovery House, a Hispanic outpatient program, and three county clinics (both adults, children and families).

Maritza also assisted as a therapist at Discovery House, a dual diagnosis crisis residential facility. She provided therapeutic support to individuals facing co-occurring mental health and substance use challenges. She has worked with the forensics population as well. Maritza also displayed a lens of trauma or culturally informed care by providing consultations to a Hispanic outpatient program. Her prior work with these populations solidified her as expert with dual diagnosis cases from a trauma and culturally informed lens.

In addition to her primary roles, Maritza volunteers as a translator for a community-based organization. She translates in vivo, confidential and legal documents for underfunded communities within the legal realm.

Maritza served as an Advanced Care Treatment Specialist within the federal prison system. Her contributions were recognized with an award in 2024, reflecting her commitment to being of service in correctional settings.

Earlier in her career, Maritza was a therapist for a county diversion program serving community members involved with the justice system. In this role, she provided counseling services designed to reduce recidivism and support individuals with navigating systems. She also worked with federal pre-trial and probation cases alongside U.S. Pre-trial and Probation services.

Significant academic achievements underscore Maritza's professional journey. In 2020, she earned a master's degree in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis on Marriage and Family Therapy from Pepperdine University in Irvine. As a first-generation student, whose parents migrated from other parts of the world and were unfamiliar with the educational system, Maritza displayed perseverance to achieve this milestone. She balanced multiple jobs while attending evening classes from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., demonstrating work ethic and dedication.

Her academic journey began with an associate's degree in social sciences and self-development from Fullerton College in 2014 followed by a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of La Verne in Pomona in 2016. These educational experiences shaped her passion for mental health advocacy, culturally competent and trauma-informed care.

Maritza holds licensure as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist through the Board of Behavioral Sciences. Attaining this credential required completion of a one-year internship, and accumulation of 3,000 hours of supervised experience. Maritza submitted 5,500 hours in total. The process to licensure included various domains such as: documentation, trainings, direct services, successful passage of both law and ethics as well as clinical examinations.

Throughout her career, Maritza has been an active member of the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists, which reflected her commitment to ongoing professional development as well as the law and ethics of the field. She often attends various trainings on a variety of domains. She enjoys learning and expanding her skills.

Maritza's achievements were recognized through several awards including an award from the federal prison system in 2024. She played basketball at the high school then at the college level, which led to awards like: Most Inspirational Player, Most Valuable Player, and First Team All-League two years in a row which are testaments to her leadership qualities and impact across diverse settings. Her Senior year of High School, she shattered the three-point shooting record and came second in the county in three pointers. She was featured in news articles for basketball events like Dribble for the Cure.

Born in Orange County, Maritza drew inspiration from personal experiences growing up in a single-parent household as a first-generation Hispanic facing systemic barriers. These formative years instilled resilience and empathy that have informed her work with trauma survivors often affected by child abuse, sexual assault, human trafficking and involvement with the justice system.

She attributed much of her success to mentors who guided at pivotal moments and expresses deep gratitude for their belief in her potential. Above all, Maritza credits her mother as a strong or resilient role model for modeling hard work and perseverance in the face of adversity.

Outside of her professional commitments, Maritza enjoys several practices including: yoga, mindfulness exercises, spending time immersed in nature like visiting beaches and exploring forests. She is passionate about creative pursuits such as learning new art techniques through acrylics or oil paintings and photography.

Looking ahead, Maritza aspires to author a book chronicling her life experiences to inspire others striving toward their goals through determination and effort. She seeks opportunities to return to federal service; particularly, within agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigations to help with the mission of protecting communities, upholding the constitution of the United States, and restoring justice where it was lost. Additionally, she hopes to someday teach courses at community colleges or universities while continuing her volunteer efforts within local organizations.

Maritza's career has reflected unwavering dedication to advancing mental health care for vulnerable populations while championing education, advocacy and community service throughout every stage of her journey.

About Marquis Who's Who®:
Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who's Who in America®, Marquis Who's Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Who's Who in America® remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the world. The suite of Marquis® publications can be viewed at the official Marquis Who's Who® website, www.marquiswhoswho.com.

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